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Written by: Coralee Bechteler
Coralee is a business writer with experience in administrative services, education, and software testing.
Edited by: David Lepeska
David has been writing and learning about business, finance and globalization for a quarter-century, starting with a small New York consulting firm in the 1990s.
Published on August 16, 2022
Updated on October 2, 2023
If you’re starting an LLC in Colorado, the business entity formation process is one of the first and most important hurdles. This step can be terribly complex and time-consuming, which is why many entrepreneurs turn to professional formation services.
But which are the best LLC formation services in Colorado? This article takes a closer look, stepping into an entrepreneur’s shoes to help you choose the service that puts you on the road to success.
Here we summarize our top picks of business formation services in Colorado.
Best Overall
Best Registered Agent Service
Best Turnaround Time
Best for Legal Services
Best for Ensuring Compliance
Best for Variety of Business-Essential Services
In Colorado, budding entrepreneurs have a trusted ally in ZenBusiness. Their diverse plans cater to the unique requirements of Colorado LLCs.
The Starter plan, at $0 plus Colorado state fees, ensures a business name availability search and LLC formation with full support.
For those seeking more comprehensive services, the Pro plan is priced at $199 plus Colorado state fees. This plan incorporates everything in the Starter plan and adds on an operating agreement template tailored for a Colorado LLC, an EIN, annual compliance service, and expedited filing.
The Premium plan, set at $349 plus Colorado state fees, offers all services in the Pro plan and further includes a business document template library, domain name, website, and email.
ZenBusiness stands out as the top choice for LLC filing in Colorado, primarily due to its affordable base service, which comprises LLC filing and a 100% accuracy guarantee, starting at $0 plus Colorado state fees.
Furthermore, it’s worth noting that ZenBusiness operates as a Public Benefit Corporation. This means while it’s a profit-driven entity, it also possesses a community objective akin to a nonprofit, further solidifying its commitment to supporting Colorado businesses.
Beyond assisting in LLC formation in Colorado, ZenBusiness extends an array of additional services ranging from registered agents to essential business tools.
ZenBusiness offers valuable services for budding entrepreneurs. While registered agent services are an add-on, their excellent customer support, user-friendly site, and positive reviews make them a top choice.
Northwest’s plan, at $39 plus state fees, includes business formation, free registered agent services for a year, a business address, an operating agreement, and a few extras.
For those forming an LLC in Colorado, this package from Northwest Registered Agent offers remarkable value. This is particularly evident as the plan covers both registered agent services and an operating agreement — two paramount components for any Colorado LLC. However, a notable point is that even if you decide to forgo the registered agent services, the plan price remains consistent at $39 plus Colorado state fees.
As the moniker “Northwest Registered Agent” suggests, the company is primarily acclaimed for its registered agent services. In their capacity as registered agent service providers, especially for Colorado businesses, they’re distinguished for offering a more tailored customer experience, expedited correspondence notifications, and personalized support.
We recommend Northwest Registered Agent because of their transparent pricing, outstanding customer service, and a commitment to maintaining your privacy. They pride themselves on personalizing their approach to meeting your registered agent needs, which are their specialty.
For state fees only, Swyft Filings’ Basic package includes verification of your company name, preparation of the articles of organization, and document filing with the state. You’ll also get online access to your documents and lifetime customer support.
You can purchase the Standard package for $199 plus state fees. This includes all the services included in the Basic package, but with the addition of a custom operating agreement and a federal tax ID, or EIN. You will also get access to custom banking resolution services and custom organizational minutes, which is a form that helps you set up your very first meeting as an LLC.
Swyft Filings’ Premium package includes everything in the Standard package with the advantage of expedited filing, as well as a business document library, compliance notifications, and a business domain name and website. You also get a digital LLC kit, which includes a digital company “seal”, a ledger for tracking transfers of ownership, and customized ownership certificates. The Premium package is available for purchase for $299 plus state filing fees.
Swyft Filings offers fast processing but doesn’t include registered agent services in their packages, making additions somewhat costly. However, they provide good value overall and strong customer support.
Rocket Lawyer, in their approach to serving Colorado businesses, takes a slightly different route than traditional package-based services. For those seeking to form a business in Colorado, Rocket Lawyer charges a one-time fee of $99. However, if you opt for their $39.99 membership, the business formation service is provided at no additional cost.
For Colorado entrepreneurs considering ongoing needs beyond just formation, the membership offers significant value. With this membership, not only do you save on the formation cost, but you also get a discounted rate for registered agent services. Instead of the standard rate of $149.99, members are only charged $111.99, yielding considerable savings for Colorado LLCs.
Beyond these direct services, membership grants access to an array of business document templates crucial for Colorado businesses. This includes a Colorado-tailored operating agreement, a vital document for any LLC in the state. In essence, Rocket Lawyer’s membership is a comprehensive tool for both aspiring and established Colorado business owners.
Rocket Lawyer simplifies business start-up, though it lacks some services offered by competitors. Their membership stands out, providing ongoing legal assistance and offering the best value.
Harbor Compliance adopts an a la carte approach for Colorado businesses, shunning traditional bundled packages. For those initiating a business in Colorado, a formation service is available at $99 plus Colorado state fees.
Businesses can then selectively add services, such as registered agent, annual report filing, and EIN. Registered agent service is $99 annually ($50 off if you pay for five years upfront, $100 off if you pay for 10). Annual report filing is $175 plus filing fees each year. You’ll get $250 off if you purchase ten years’ worth of annual report filing. EIN acquisition for Colorado LLCs starts at $99.
In addition to these foundational services, Harbor Compliance broadens its offerings with tools tailored for business license management and an array of other services designed for Colorado entities. This extensive service portfolio, which outstrips many competitors, underscores their comprehensive approach to business needs.
Colorado businesses will particularly appreciate Harbor Compliance for its prompt processing. Their registered agent services, both in quality and cost-effectiveness, make them a compelling choice for entities striving for value and efficiency in the Centennial State.
Harbor Compliance provides extensive services, including comprehensive annual compliance and business license guidance, surpassing competitors. Though on the pricier side, they cater to most needs of new business owners.
Tailor Brands offers a Lite plan, which comes at a cost of $49 plus Colorado fees and includes your business formation with the state and standard state processing times.
Their Essential plan includes the additional benefits of their annual compliance service, an operating agreement, and expedited processing. The cost is $199 annually.
Their Elite plan offers a domain name, eight logos, a business website builder, and a few extras for a cost of $249 annually.
Tailor Brands differentiates itself by offering a host of modern business tools (logo maker, website, domain name) that are particularly beneficial for new Colorado businesses.
Tailor Brands’ plans are a decent value, but the main reason that we chose them for the list is the extensive business tools they offer. If you can overcome their aggressive sales tactics, you can access a variety of services to meet all your business needs.
A business formation service handles the business formation process for you, making it nearly seamless while offering additional services that can make life easier for a new business owner. Whether you’re forming a limited liability company (LLC) or a corporation, a business formation service takes care of all the red tape, freeing you up to focus on growing your business.
With so many business formation services to choose from, it can be difficult to decide which is best for you. There are four essential elements that can help you make your decision.
Each service offers various products and services, and their plans are all designed differently. You may need some services but not others, so you need to choose the service that offers everything you need. For example, only some of the providers offer annual report filing.
If it’s important to you to get that task off your plate, you’ll want a service that offers that feature. Another feature you might need is a digital dashboard where you can always access your business formation documents.
You’ll want to choose a service that has everything you need to make starting and running your business as easy as possible.
Of course, you’ll want to get the best value for your money!
Compare the cost of each service for everything you need. The price can really add up when you start adding extras, so be careful not to go too far. You also want to get good value and great customer service, so if you’re considering the cheapest service, check the reviews to see how people feel about it.
Business formation turnaround times vary with each service, so if you’re in a hurry to get your business up and running, you’ll want to look for the quickest service. You don’t want your order to sit in an office for too long before your paperwork gets filed with the state. Some services differentiate themselves with fast turnaround times, so if they also offer good value, that might be your best choice.
One good way to learn about the quality of anything you’re buying is to listen to what people are saying about it. When we review services we look at Better Business Bureau and Trustpilot ratings and reviews. It’s wise to look at both positive and negative reviews to find out what people love about the service and about issues customers have encountered.
Remember that fake reviews are common, so you’ll have to take some of the reviews with a grain of salt.
As an entrepreneurial advisory site, we take our responsibilities seriously. We understand that countless entrepreneurs, and potential entrepreneurs, rely on our judgments and insights, particularly when it comes to creating their business.
As a result, our writers do their utmost to gain a comprehensive understanding of the services offered and the actual customer experience. In nearly every case, we:
Thanks to this full immersion in the actual customer experience, our reviewers are able to provide the most complete and insightful analysis of various LLC formation services.
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